Holliday defensive coordinator Tucker hoping to be a part of second semifinal run

Gunter is every bit the No. 2-ranked team in Class 3A. For the Holliday Eagles to reverse the earlier result against the Tigers they'll have to move the ball more consisently against one of the toughest defenses around.
Christopher Walker, Times Record News

Holliday defensive coordinator Kyle Tucker has overseen a defense allowing only 10 points per game in 2018.(Photo: Courtesy)

HOLLIDAY – It’s hard to find people associated with Holliday’s football team who remember the Eagles’ last state quarterfinal victory.

That’s because no current Eagles were born. Holliday has lost the past seven times they’ve played for a regional title with all of those setbacks occurring during an 11-year stretch (2001-11) that bookended the Terry Wolf era.

This year’s Holliday group can match the 1996 Eagles as the most successful postseason team in school history with a victory Friday against No. 2 Gunter in Denison.

A common link between the two sides is Holliday defensive coordinator Kyle Tucker, who’s the mastermind behind this year’s relentless unit and was a senior receiver/defensive back 22 years ago.

“I remember it being a crazy game and that was the first year overtime was allowed,” said Tucker, referring to Holliday’s 36-34 overtime victory over Mart in the 1996 quarterfinals. “We’d beaten Italy 17-14 in OT the week before. This time after we scored, (coach) Matt Robinson decided we’d go for two. We got it and then held them on their conversion.”

Tucker recorded an interception in that historical victory. Now he’s hoping to see a few turnovers forced by his defense Friday night in a slugfest expected to be played in miserable, wet conditions.

After returning to his alma mater in 2007, Tucker has coached in two of those quarterfinal losses – to Idalou in 2010 and Cisco the following season. He’s the third-longest tenured Holliday coach behind Ryan Menasco and Keith Nichols, who are also well-versed in the school’s inability to win a regional title.

“It’d be awesome to be able to play on the team that made it and then coach the one that made it,” Tucker said. “I’d be excited for this group of kids. They work hard, deserve it and I really want it for them.”

If Holliday is going to shock the state and knock off powerhouse Gunter, Tucker’s defense will be a critical component. The Eagles are allowing only 10 points per game and held Buffalo without a first down until the third quarter last week.

Tucker only recently became the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, but he has been around a tremendous group of defenses through the years. The year before he arrived, Holliday allowed only 10.8 points during a quarterfinal run that ended with a 14-10 loss to Cisco. The Eagles held opponents to 13.6 points in 2011 when they blanked all five district opponents.

Where does this current group rank compared to what he’s seen the last decade?

“I put this group right up there at the top – as good as any as we’ve had,” Tucker said. “It is hard to compare, but I can’t think of a group that’s better than these guys.”

Tucker lays out the reasons why this unit is so dominant quicker than a stunting Holliday linebacker gets to the opposing quarterback. While they’re primarily a 3-4 defense, the Eagles have been able to switch to the 3-3 stack when needed without missing a beat. That versatility isn’t the norm.

Holliday has several three-year starters in Tanner Bayard, Jake Turner, Chase Borchardt, Crue Jackson and Jett Johnson, who came back better than ever after ACL surgery a year ago. Those five line up at the three different defensive tiers, providing the Eagles with experience at all levels.

“We had some great players back then,” Tucker said when asked about the past. “We always had a dominant player, but I feel like this group has more than some of the other ones. Jett is the quarterback of our defense and he’s such a smart football player. The guys in the secondary can cover and have been there before.”

It’s a busy time for Tucker, who’s also the head basketball coach and takes both roles seriously. On Friday, he coached Holliday's hoops guys to a win over Windthorst before lunch and then orchestrated a game plan that baffled Buffalo’s dynamic offense several hours later.

The Eagles practice team defense first in the afternoon, allowing Tucker to skirt away for at least an hour of basketball practice.

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Holliday's Tanner Bayard (55) hangs on to the jersey of Buffalo's Hector Dominguez (34) for a tackle as several Eagle defenders close in on him Friday, Nov. 30, 2018, in the Region II-3A Div. II regional game at Birdville ISD Athletics Complex in North Richland Hills.(Photo: Patrick Johnston/Times Record News)

“I’ve watched him work and be prepared for every game. Even though he’s a basketball coach, he’s working full-time for football,” Holliday coach Frank Johnson said. “I want people that really want to compete and do well, have the best chance of winning, and Kyle definitively glorifies that. Whatever we’re doing, he’s all-in on that.”

Right now he’s all-in on trying to find ways to slow down Gunter. Holliday’s defense held its own in the first meeting, but the Tigers were able to drive the field for touchdowns on the opening two drives and rushed for 267 yards. Doing a better job of winning first down is a priority after Gunter didn’t face many third-and-longs.

Whether they triumph or not, it’s been a fun season for the Eagles, who haven’t won 12 games since 2006. They don’t want it to stop Friday in the frigid rain, either.

“This group, it’s a special group of seniors who have been great leaders," Tucker said. “The thing about this team is they’re fun to be around and love to have fun at practice. It seems like everybody still is having a good time.”